There are plenty of good reasons to justify Deshaun Watson becoming the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback this season. As a veteran, he has more experience than Shedeur Sanders, which may make him better suited to handle the intricacies of Todd Monken’s complicated offense.
Watson also has a history of success in the NFL, albeit a long time ago with the Houston Texans. About to turn 31 years old in September, he is more athletic than the much younger Sanders, even after recovering from a serious shoulder injury and a twice-torn Achilles tendon.
Add to that his impressive performance during minicamps and OTAs this spring, which is somewhat surprising considering everything that was working against him. Watson deserves credit for sticking with his career despite a long list of obstacles.
So, the fact that he is in the final year of a record-breaking guaranteed contract should not be the only reason he deserves the job. Due to the salary cap ramifications of that historically bad deal, the Browns have no choice but to keep him on their roster this season.
Yet, former Browns player Gary Barnidge recently revealed that Watson should start at QB for the team, based on the salary he is making.
“Realistically, Deshaun Watson should start. You’re paying him $400 million dollars. It makes no sense to have him as your backup, and paying him all that money,” Barnidge said.
Former Browns Pro-Bowl tight end Gary Barnidge share his thoughts on the Browns quarterback battle. #Browns #GaryBarnidge #ClevelandBrowns #DawgPound #NFL pic.twitter.com/Xs8RuHsHSo
— At The Office (@TheOfficeCLE) July 11, 2026
Barnidge makes the case that if the Browns open the season with Sanders as the starter, they can’t switch to Watson during the season. The former tight end said it is much easier to do so the other way, benching Watson and replacing him with Sanders if need be.
That is an interesting take and may provide some genuine insight into how the Browns’ current players actually view the situation. If a teammate’s salary does factor into the equation for them, the locker room dynamics of having someone with a $230 million guaranteed contract on the bench may be getting overlooked.
NFL insider Albert Breer made a similar case, saying the Browns may be favoring Watson to get something in return for all the money they spent on him during his disappointing tenure in Cleveland, but that may not be what’s best for the franchise in the long run.
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